The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-18
FRAUDS DETECTED"
Sermon by Rev. T. l,e Witt Tai
mage, d. D.
How SIN l. Found Out. Either In the
World Around, the World Within. or
the World Beyond-The Only
Safe Hiding Place.

BRooKIYx, n Y, Feb. 13-Dr. Talmage
chose for his text to-day the tweAty-third
verse of the thirty second chapter of Num-
bers: But IL We will not do so. behold, We
have sinned against the Lord; and be sure
your sin will find you out" His subject
was: Frauds Detected" The sermon is
as follows:
On the map Of Palestine, Reuben and
Cad lie on the east side OF Jordan When
the Israeiites, after their forty years wan
dering in the wilderness, reached the bor-
ders of the promised land. these two tribes
asked leave to settle down there at once.
They also promised to go over jordan and
help their brethren drive out their enemies.
But Moses was not very sure about them.
He told them that, if they kept their word.
all would be well; and then said: s'But if
We will not dc so. behold, We have sinned
against the Lord; and be sure your sin will
find you OUT
What solemn saying! How it grleves
you, The very sound of the words strikes
terror into US. The sinner skulks. and fees,
and does all that he can to hide himself: but
sin is an ayeRger or detective on his track.
The detective follows with slow and noise
less steps, but he is sure. He will not be
brbed, he can not be outwitted by the
| criminal He may seize the trembling sin
ner any day. and seize him he shall some
day. Every sinner has at last to say. like
the frightened Ahab: Hast thou found me-
q. mine enemy"
There are three worlds in which sin finds
US out-the world around; the world within;
the world beyond.
In the world around sin finds the sim
ner out, for sin is the mother Of all shame.
sorrow and suffering. Yet every sinner
fancies that sin will not find him out Visit
cur prisons. l am sure every prisoner
there believed he would not be caught.
He knew that others had been caught, but
he expected good luck. as he calls it. He
was like the silly gambler who is sure
that he will WIN, lose who may. HIS sin
was done so cleverly, and in the dark All
sinners are like these prisoners.
1t Is amazing in how many ways sin
finds men out In the year 1S0D. France
being then at war with England. Danish
vessel. suspected Of being in the French
service, was captured at Kingston. West
Indies Blu. the charge could not be
proved. The sailors of the war ship Aber
gavenuv. then at the same station. We're
amusing themselves with catching sharks.
On opening a shark. they found in its nav
pocket book containing bills Of lading.
which proved that the captured vessel be-
longed 10 the enemy. The captain, when
pursued. had thrown his pocket book into
the sea. and the shark had devoured it.
The captains SIN found him out through
the nav Of the shark, and his ship became
c British prize.
Ii you read your history you will gather
proofs of my text-millions Of them. For
all history echoes the words of Moses the
first historian: BE sure YOUR sin will find
you cut" All the great writers and poets,
especially Of the heather world, have one
favorite theme. They trace the career Of
the successful sinner: he moves along
fearless. naughty, defying Heaven; but an
awful form ia on his track, with uplifted
hand grasping the sword of justice, and
noiselessly stealing nearer and nearer him.
while he Is surer of nothing than this-that
his sin will not find him ont. The blow falls
upon him like thunderbolt from clear
sky.
Thes. great writers love to bring out
what is callei poetic justice. They show
what every page of history proves. that
with the sinner it is .'like for like and
measure for MEASURE the slayer is
slain, the cheatar is cheated. the doer is
done. the bitter bit, the Snarer shared in
his own net
Blood for blood. ard blow for blow.
Thou shclt reap as thou diGst sow;
Age - age with hoary wisdom
Spcasest thus 10 men"
will give you two Of the most striking
instances of this have yet mot with. In
1923 Louis NV. of France. sstroyed the
tomb of the Emperors OF Spiars b. the
hand of an officer named Hentz: and on
the very same day in 1,1}. exactly one hun
al b,-nn
representative of the people. the tombs of
the French Kings at st. Denis were broken
open. and the ashes Of Louis XIV. were
the first scattered to the winds. That was
q case Of ironical rctribution-that is,
punishment which seems cruelty to
mock the sinner, by giving him his own
sin back to his own bosom.
Not many years ago a Mormon Bishop
named Lee was shot on the very spot
where twenty years ago he had massaCred
a company of emigrants. AS he sat down
on the coffin provide for his body, while
the soldiers We're preparing for his exccu-
ton. his eyes rested on d great cross over
the grave of his victims, with this inscrip-
ton: vengeance IS mine, l will repay,
saith the Lord"
One of the shortest and most telling SER
mons l ever heard was by friend who
had charge of a hospital Going round his
wards with him one Sabbath morning we
came to young man whose secret sins
had found him out. As the doctor laid bare
his hideous sOres-the sight was enough to
sicken you-he sail in a slow and solemn
tone: BE not deceived: God is not
Knocked; for whatsoever man soweth.
that shall he also reap. For"-still uncov-
erine and dressing the running sores-..he
hat ~ fha ttash hall ~ t4aa
reap corruption" The poor mans face
changed color. his eyeballs grew larger.
and felt as if l had been present at the last
Judgment.
Il can not look on one Of nv children"
said che father Of a large and respectable
family, without seeing in them the effects
OF the sins Of my youth" HIS sins had
ruined his health and theirs. These are
not pleasant things to say, but you need to
be told them.
The whole Bible is q sermon on nv text.
The first sin-.he sin Of Adam and Eve
how soon it was found out! CAIN was not
he found ont! The very earth cried out
against him and the mark on mis- forehead
advertised his crime to all the world. The |
sinners in Noah's day were found out by
the food; on Lots day, by the destruction |
of Sodom, Joseph's brethren in Egypt, |
Achan and his Babylonish garments. Ge- |
bazi and his gold, Jonah in the storm, |
Hannah hanged on his own gallows, Man |
asseh and his Understanding, Judas and |
his pieces Of silver, Anannias and Sap |
phIra-all. ali found out.
Think Of the children OF Israel in the |
wilderness. under their judges and kings, |
AZ the Baoylonish captivity, a. the destruc-
tior Of Jerusalem. and now scattered over
the earth-their sin ever finding then out;
and every chapter in Revelations reads the |
same warning. The world around is like /